


why is the rum always gone

by boogyu (transming)



Series: 꿈속에서 보던 너를 찾아 [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, M/M, Pirates, Swordfighting, it's that one scene in the blacksmith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23733277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transming/pseuds/boogyu
Summary: The pirate hums, a glint of mischief dancing with the fire in his eyes. "So, tell me then. What does catch the interest of a humble blacksmith such as yourself?"
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: 꿈속에서 보던 너를 찾아 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714606
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48





	why is the rum always gone

**Author's Note:**

> this is supposed to be part of a larger poly fic inspired by will, elizabeth and jack from the potc films but all i could think abt was this scene. so there might be an ot3 extension to this if i can find inspiration soon, i just needed to get this out of the way first.

The sharp clang of metal on metal fills the dusty air of the blacksmith. Fast feet on dirt dance back and forth, a battle with rhythm where every step is crucial. A drop of sweat kicks up a miniature dust cloud as Minghao rushes forward; swords clanging, breathing heavy. 

"Who made all these swords?" The pirate asks, glancing away for a second, up to where an array dangle above their heads. His rhythm doesn't falter, swings his hand without looking and blocks every attack Minghao throws his way. 

"I did." Minghao says, a hint of confidence in his voice, "And I practice with them for three hours every day." 

"Impressive." The pirate grins, firelight catching gold, catching Minghao's attention. "I'm sure those rippling arm muscles of yours make a lot of girls swoon." 

Minghao dodges a few more swings, frustrated at the laxed way the pirate blocks all of his attacks with a hand behind his back. "Yeah well, I'm not particularly interested in what girls swoon over nowadays."

He regrets the words as soon as they slip out, watches a satisfied smile appear, barely concealing a hint of surprise as the pirate advances. 

"Is that so?" He pushes closer, and Minghao is helplessly backed further towards a wall, desperately searching for anything to help without giving himself away.

The pirate hums, a glint of mischief dancing with the fire in his eyes. "So, tell me then. What does catch the interest of a humble blacksmith such as yourself?" 

Minghao's back hits the wall, the cold seeping through his thin shirt. The pirate presses closer, closer until Minghao is forced to bend his arm, swords pressed up against his chest. The pirate gets closer still, eyes dropping to Minghao's lips, and he can't be sure if it's the cold from the wall that sends a shiver down his spine this time. A blade brushes across the sensitive skin of his neck and his breath hitches. 

"You wanna know what I enjoy?" Minghao pants into the small space between them, enjoying the way the pirate's expression falters for the briefest of moments, eyes burning with something new. Minghao licks his lips, just because he can, and revels in the dark eyes that track the movement. His voice drops to a whisper as he presses forward until their noses brush. "I like putting rotten pirates like you in your place." 

The pirate speaks quieter than even Minghao, so the words spoken are nothing more than air across the thin hairs above Minghao's lips and a vibration deep in his chest. "And might I ask: where exactly would that be?" 

Minghao's free hand slides over the pirate's hips, catching on trinkets and clothing in its search. He finds what he's looking for, with not a sign that the pirate has caught onto him yet, and smiles privately into the space between. "Hanging from a rope." 

With two thumping heart beats he pushes against the swords, pushes off the wall, pushes the pirate away and takes advantage of unsteady steps to kick a sweeping foot out, knocking the pirate off his feet and pointing the barrel of the pistol right between two wide eyes before his head even hits the ground. 

"You cheated." The pirate breathes, chest heaving. Their swords lay scattered besides them both, still wobbling. 

"You're a pirate." Minghao replies and lets out a breath when the pirate seemingly gives up, muscles relaxing and head thumping against the dirt. He keeps the gun trained on the pirate, never taking an eye off of him as he searches blindly for the pool of rope he knows is somewhere nearby. 

The pirate keeps his eyes closed when Minghao eventually returns with the rope, yanking him to a sitting position and begins tying him up. 

"You're quite skilled at this. Is this something else you practice every day?" 

Minghao doesn't respond and finishes tying the pirate's hands together, smiling to himself when the pirate yells out in pain as Minghao roughly tightens the last knot. 

"Aren't you going to tie my legs too?" The pirate asks, blinking innocently up at Minghao when he stands up. Minghao rolls his eyes and goes off to search for another piece of rope. 

“I should just shoot him.” He mumbles to himself as he gathers up a dusty old rope from the back of the store, amongst a pile of dirty rags and a pair of work boots Minghao had honestly forgotten about. “Make my life easier.”

“Now that wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do though, would it?” 

Minghao whirls around, only to find the tip of a sword at his throat, catching the bare end of his movement with a stinging prick under his chin. He clutches the rope and pistol in his hands and glares at the pirate at the other end of the sword. "Be a good lad and drop that for me would ya?"

He nods towards the pistol, and with a sigh, Minghao regretfully throws it to the side, cursing inwardly as the pirate kicks it further out of reach.

“A tip, love." He waves a dagger with his free hand, tipping it over his fingers like it’s nothing. "Never leave your prisoner unattended.”

“I'll remember that for next time.” Minghao sneers, pushing forward only to be rewarded by another prick and a trickle of blood down his collarbone. 

“Is that a promise?” The pirate asks, tipping his head to the side and smiling happily. Minghao breaks eye contact, face warm. “Well, as fun as this was, I do actually have prior engagements to attend to. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking my leave now.” 

Minghao waits until the pirate’s back is turned, guard lowered, before throwing the rope around his legs, sweeping him off his feet for the second time that night and crawling onto his back, prying his sword out of his hands and stabbing it into the ground, right next to the pirate’s head, all in one swift movement. This time, he searches the pirate thoroughly, pulling out a collection of daggers and trinkets, one pocket compass that spins in wild circles and a bag of coins worth about a week’s worth of work. He pockets it, along with a few daggers and crawls off the pirate. 

As expected, the pirate tries to roll over, only to discover his shirt collar is pinned down by the sword next to him. He tries to pull it out, only for Minghao to stab a dagger through his sleeve, pinning his arm to the ground. Minghao walks around, crouches down and lifts the pirate’s chin with the tip of his next dagger. “A tip, pirate. Never turn your back on an enemy.” 

Finally, the pirate loses his usual composure. his eyes are dark as he glares up at Minghao. “What is your name, blacksmith?” 

Minghao tilts the dagger, forcing the pirate’s head higher. “What is yours, pirate?” 

The pirate laughs. “'Tis a brave thing. Asking a pirate’s name.” 

Minghao hums. “With one as terrible as you, what is there to fear?” 

The pirate grins wickedly, and there’s that gold tooth again. “You call me a pirate, but which of us is holding the dagger right now?” 

Minghao holds his tongue and pulls the dagger away. 

“Some call me Cat’s Eye.” Minghao pauses, dagger balanced loosely in his palm. The pirate looks up at him again, eyes darker than the shadows dancing around them. His unruly hair hangs over them, catching on long eyelashes framed with black. Minghao leans in just to watch his face open up, watch his guard fall. His eyeline falls with it and lands on Minghao’s parted lips. 

Minghao brings the dagger back up to the side of the pirate's neck and keeps it there as they both lean in, lips colliding like waves breaking. Minghao sucks in a breath and dives, opening his mouth to drink in everything the pirate - the man is giving him, lips rough and chapped, tasting seven seas and barrels of rum. It’s hard to stop once he starts, and the next thing he knows the man is pushing up, clothes ripping through the daggers to push Minghao onto his back and crawling on top as he continues to rob the breath straight from his lungs. 

The man pulls away to catch his breath and Minghao’s head spins looking up at him. “Jeon Wonwoo.”

Minghao, chest heaving, breathes one word; “What?”

The man pulls away further, and before Minghao can react there’s, yet again, a dagger at his throat and another by his shoulder, stuck straight through his suspenders and the wooden floor. The pirate’s expression has been wiped clean, replaced with the same arrogant mask he entered with. 

“You can tell everyone that Captain Jeon Wonwoo is the one who got away.” He sticks another dagger into Minghao's other suspender loop after a moment of deliberation, and then grabs the rope Minghao dropped earlier, still sitting on top of him. 

“Can’t be too careful with you can I?” Wonwoo asks, laughing to himself when all Minghao does is glare, helpless after struggling to remove the daggers without any luck. 

“Wait.” He hurries when Wonwoo reaches for his hands. “Take me with you.”

Wonwoo stops, taken aback, the rope sagging in his grip. “Come again?”

“Take me with you.” Minghao begs, pressing his hands together in a sign of mercy.

“Why?” Wonwoo asks. “What business does a blacksmith have working with a ‘rotten pirate’ like myself?” 

“I want to see the world.” Minghao admits, letting slip just a fraction of the wanderlust that plagues him every day. “I can’t do that with honest work.” 

“Well sure you can.” Wonwoo says, leaning closer and brushing a finger over the hilt of one of the daggers, playing with it for a while before dropping it to lay under Minghao's jaw. “A hard working man like yourself is the exact kind of person the East India Trading company is looking for.”

“That’s not honest work.” Minghao shakes his head. “I’ve heard about all of the skeletons in that closet.”

Wonwoo squints down at him, scrutinising, unbelieving. “So of course the better option would be piracy, known for its abundance of honesty and fair play, is that it?” 

“You could have killed me.” Minghao says, staring straight into the eyes of the abyss. “Twice.”

“Thrice.” Wonwoo corrects. “And how do you know I'm not the only pirate out there with morals?”

Minghao blinks up at him and earnestly asks, “Why else would you stay?” 

It was the wrong thing to say, as Wonwoo's expression darkens and he pulls away, grabbing for Minghao's hands again. "I don't know who gave you the impression that piracy is anything but a plague but believe me, darling, it ain't all sunshine and yo-ho's. You're better off staying a nobody, trust me." 

Minghao stays silent as Wonwoo ties his hands together, letting his head roll to the side so he stops staring up at the man on top of him and finding new things that peak his curiosity. His eye catches on the compass, sitting just out of reach and finally pointing in one direction.

"Your compass is weird." He says. 

"Not weird." Wonwoo replies, reaching for it. "Just… temperamental." 

Wonwoo trails off, staring down at it, then glancing at Minghao, and back and forth. He stands abruptly, walking back a few paces, and Minghao is too confused by the weird behaviour to even attempt an escape. 

"What are you doing?" 

Wonwoo looks at him once more, looks down, and says, "Oh you've got to be kidding me." 

"What?" Minghao asks. Wonwoo looks stressed out and starts hitting the compass, shaking it by his ear and doing everything he can to change the dial. 

"What? What is it?" Minghao asks again, trying to dislodge the daggers by his shoulders.

Wonwoo curses loudly and stares down at Minghao. He rushes back over and starts pulling at Minghao's clothing, looking for something.

"Do you have anything on you? Anything rare or- or powerful or just- very very old? Anything?" 

Minghao shakes his head, voice soft, a little shaky. "If I did I would have sold it by now."

All movement stops, and Wonwoo crawls off of Minghao, swearing under his breath. Minghao just watches him, speechless, until Wonwoo finally looks back at him, defeated.

"Looks like you're coming with me afterall." 

**Author's Note:**

> i am once again thanking mae & mac for their unendless, undying support and encouragement and drew for deciding to watch potc and unintentionally creating this fic and for reading it in its babiest stages
> 
> and thanks everyone else for reading!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/transgyu?s=09) | [cc](http://curiouscat.me/wuju_lbx)


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